


Disturbed Slumber

by allixiler



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:16:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28776678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allixiler/pseuds/allixiler
Summary: Nightmares are normal, but Hannibal is concerned about yours.
Relationships: Hannibal Lecter & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Disturbed Slumber

Sleep is supposed to be the body’s natural way of regaining energy. Humans on average are supposed to get anywhere from 8-10 hours every single night in order to maintain a productive life. In recent years, scientists have discovered that getting good sleep is just as healthy as a proper diet and exercise. Sleeping is supposed to be a safe time for all humans to get well-needed rest and to leave behind the problems of the day. 

It was a rather warm summer night, there was the slightest breeze. The inky black skies were dotted with little sprinkles of stars. The bedroom was comfortably cool and the sheets were soft and clean. It was perfect conditions for a productive sleep. However, that didn’t mean that the bad things of the outside world can’t sometimes make their way into a human’s slumber.

Hannibal was usually a pretty sound sleeper. There wasn’t much that would awake him during the night unless it was an out of the ordinary sound, hence his confusion when he found himself stirred awake in the middle of the night. He looked around the room to see if anything was out of place, thinking that something had possibly fallen from one of his shelves. Instead, he saw you sleeping, but visibly in distress.

Your breathing was heavy, and your face was full of fear as your legs twitched around in response to the nightmare you were clearly having. It suddenly became clear as to what had woken Hannibal from his sleep.

“Hannibal…” Your sleeping voice croaked out. 

He had been awoken by you calling his name just a few moments before, obviously being frightened by whatever you were currently dreaming about. He rested a hand on your shoulder, shaking gently to keep from startling you more. 

“[Y/N], darling, wake up.” His groggy voice whispered out.

You finally woke up with a sharp gasp, your heart pumping in your ears and throbbing in your head. Your eyes darted around the room frantically, relief falling on your features at the sight of Hannibal looking worriedly at you. 

“Oh, thank God…” You breathed out, falling into his arms, and beginning to cry.

He wasted no time wrapping his arms around you, resting his chin on the top of your head. Your sobs were muffled in his t-shirt that you had buried your face in, his voice was gentle in your ears.

“You’re alright. I’ve got you.” He hushed.

Your body shook as a reaction to your frightful dream, your whole nervous system trying to recover from what had just happened. He hated that you were having this happen to you. He knew that sleep was supposed to be a safe haven for most people. 

“It was so real. I thought…I was…” You trailed off. 

He rubbed soothing circles on your back, kissing your temple and continuing to speak to you.

“I know. You’ve just had a bad dream is all,” He explained; “It happens from time to time.”

You continued to shake in his hold, his hands were warm on your clammy skin as he kept calming you down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked sincerely after a few more moments.

You nodded, pulling away from him slowly. He wiped your tears away from your face with his thumbs, kissing your forehead gently.

“I’ve never dreamed anything like that before. It was so vivid. It didn’t even feel like I was dreaming,” You told; “It was some man that seemed so familiar but I couldn’t see his face…you thought he would’ve been angry the way he just slaughtered the other guy, but he was so…calm.”

Hannibal remained unchanged at your story, but he was pretty sure he knew what you had dreamed about. 

“The man killed another man?” Hannibal asked to confirm.

You nodded again, feeling your tears subside, but your shakiness was still there.

“Yeah. Whoever he was, I hope I never cross paths with him.” You admitted.

Hannibal remained unchanged, but took note of your dream. Perhaps, he had let himself get a little too comfortable. He cared about you immensely. Next to Will Graham, you were one of the most fascinating human beings he ever had the pleasure of knowing. He often found himself slipping when it came to his private habits. He had come to the conclusion that he wanted to share them with you, but fought against the urge. He feared your reaction. It was something he thought about quite often. 

He wondered how glorious it would be if you still accepted him after telling you. Would you still comfortably live by his side and perhaps even join his charade? Or would you completely lose all respect for him and deny him? He feared the second option. He knew what that meant if it were to be true.

Still, he brushed the thought aside to be dealt with later. 

“As do I. Come here, dear.” He said, inviting you back into his arms.

He rested back into the mattress with you, keeping you close until you felt okay enough to fall back asleep. 

“Thanks, Hanni. I’m sorry for waking you.” You apologized quietly.

“Nonsense,” He spoke deeply, kissing your forehead once more; “Here’s to a good sleep.”

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for you to fall back under, hopefully not enduring any more night terrors for the remainder of the night. It was concerning that you were having dreams about his unknown…craft. It seemed impossible, considering you had no knowledge of it. It was crazy what a human’s subconscious thoughts could do. 

Hannibal assured that you were okay, keeping you close by in case you needed him. Hannibal stayed awake until the sun began to rise, his mind at work and far from sleep.


End file.
